The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1887-10-29
THE WATERWAYS CONVENTION.


eAS--7 ~ NN1tiAut tuC improvement VI
the waterways of tins great country
has placed in jeopardy the great work
of developing the Mississippi valley
its tributary valleys in the northwest,
the south and southwest, depriving
the people for large part of the year
of the great advantage of an improved
cheap water route to the sea for their
products, and of interstate communi-
cation for their favorable exchange,
thus falling to secure to the producers
the highest possible returns for their
labor and
Whereas, In view of the urgent
necessity that immediate action be ta-
ken by Congress for prompt relief, this
convention has been called to assemble
to devise means of averting, ifpossible
the disaster threatening these great in
terests of the people of the Mississippi
valley and the northwest, whose pros
perity and happiness depends in large
degree upon the permanent improve
ment of the Mississippi river and its
navigable tributaries, and to prevent
the recurrence of such inaction here
after to the great interests involved ;
and to demand that they no longer be
ignored, and that every consideration
of public policy demands their imme-
diate complete improvement by the
general government Therefore, be it
Resolved (I J, That the interests for
which this convention is authorized to
speak are entitled in the highest degree
to consideration from the National
Legislature, to which is intrusted by
the constitution as well the regulation
of commerce between the States as the
promotion of the general welfare. The
domestic commerce affected is already
one-half of that of the whole United
States, and more than six times greater
than our foreign commerce. Upon
this vast commerce is being levied year
by year; a direct and wasteful tax
enormous in amount, by way of in,
creased freights, insurance, demurrage
wreck and repairs, caused by sand-bars
snags, treacherous banks and other OBJ.
stacles to the safe and easy navigation
of the western waterways. No exer
else Of the power of Congress can b.
more Legitimate orjust than the relic
of that commerce and Of the immense
and varied industries which support
| it from such needless burdens by re
moving those obstacles to navigation
To have acquired these great water
ways, and the vast territory whicl
they drain, was the triumph of earl.
American craftsmanship. To restrail
their mighty floods and direct thei
resistless energies Is the achievement
of its latest science. II is for the states
manship of to-day to complete tha
triumph by calling that science per
manently to It's aid.
2. That we earnestly reaffirm th
declaration of the river improvement
conventions which met at st. Louis II
October, 1881; at Washington, d. c
in February, 1884, and at New Orlean
in April, 1885, that it is the manifes
and imperative duty of the govern
ment of the United States to cause t,
be made such improvement of tn
western waterways as shall permanent
ly secure their easy and safe naviga
ton, and prevent the overflow thereof
Especially is the duty obvious whel
the experience of the past and presen
demonstrate that such improvement
adequately made and permanent,
maintained, will save millions of dol
lars annually in the cost of transporta
ton to the people Of the Mississippi
Valley.
8. That the failure of the appropria
tions to continue the improvement o
our western waterways is recalle,
with regret, and meets with the disap
proval of this convention; that sue
failure has greatly embarrassed tn
work of the engineers, and will inflic
serious injury to the improvements al
ready underway; and Congress
hereby requested to so amend its rule
and mode of procedure as TO secur
prompt action upon this measure, t
the end that its provisions may rcceiv
due scrutiny before execu i've action
4, demanded.
A. That this convention invoke
: Congress to regard the interests {
the people of the great Mississippi va
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